{"id":74420,"date":"2022-09-27T15:30:28","date_gmt":"2022-09-27T13:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/visitanddo_1790.test\/?p=74420"},"modified":"2026-09-30T22:37:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T20:37:13","slug":"most-beautiful-villages-of-malaga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/most-beautiful-villages-of-malaga\/","title":{"rendered":"The prettiest villages in M\u00e1laga"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Thirteen villages in the province of M\u00e1laga<\/strong>, grouped by region so that you can link them together without having to cross the province from one end to the other.<\/p>\n

What makes each one different<\/strong> \u2014not \u00abwhite houses and flowers\u00bb\u2014everyone\u2019s got that\u2014.<\/p>\n\n

\ud83d\uddfa\ufe0f How to use this list<\/h2>\n

It doesn\u2019t take long to get around the province:<\/strong> In less than two hours, you go from a village overlooking the Mediterranean to a hamlet amongst chestnut trees. That\u2019s why the most efficient thing is group by region<\/strong> and do two or three in one go.<\/p>\n\n\n
Region<\/th>Villages<\/th>Base<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
Axarquia<\/strong><\/td>Frigiliana, C\u00f3mpeta, Comares<\/td>Nerja<\/td><\/tr>\n
Serran\u00eda de Ronda<\/strong><\/td>Ronda, Gauc\u00edn, Genalguacil, J\u00fazcar<\/td>Ronda<\/td><\/tr>\n
West coast<\/strong><\/td>Mijas, Casares<\/td>Marbella or Estepona<\/td><\/tr>\n
North and inland<\/strong><\/td>Antequera, Archidona, Ardales, Casabermeja<\/td>Antequera<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

And if you\u2019re looking for something more specific<\/strong>, we have two closed routes: the White Villages Route<\/a>, only mountain folk, and towns with beaches<\/a>. This page deliberately combines the two.<\/p>\n\n

Axarqu\u00eda: the eastern part<\/h2>\n\n

1. Frigiliana<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Narrow
The Moorish quarter of Frigiliana.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The most photographed spot in the county<\/strong>, and its Moorish-style building is considered one of the best-preserved in Andalusia<\/strong>. It is called \u00abthe town of the three cultures\u00bb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What to look for:<\/strong> the ceramic panels<\/strong> scattered throughout the streets, which tell the story of the Moorish rebellion at El Fuerte hill. It is a narrative trail through the village.<\/p>\n

20 minutes from Nerja<\/strong>, so you can combine it with a day at the beach. More at What to see in Frigiliana<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

2. Comares<\/h3>\n

The Balcony of the Axarqu\u00eda.<\/strong> It\u2019s on top of a hill with 360-degree view<\/strong> and the Mediterranean in the distance.<\/p>\n

What makes it different:<\/strong> has a signposted route with ceramic footprints embedded in the ground<\/strong>. Follow the trail and it will take you through the entire Al-Andalus quarter without needing a map.<\/p>\n\n

3. C\u00f3mpeta<\/h3>\n

The village of Muscat wine.<\/strong> It is surrounded by vineyards that produce the sweet wine of the Axarqu\u00eda, and that is the reason to visit.<\/p>\n

And that is the starting point<\/strong> of the routes to the Tejeda and Almijara Mountain Range<\/strong>, so it\u2019s ideal if you want to walk.<\/p>\n\n

The Ronda Mountains: the Genal Valley<\/h2>\n\n

4. Ronda<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"New
The New Bridge over the Tagus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not a village; it\u2019s a historic town<\/strong> split in two by a gash over a hundred metres long<\/strong>. The “Puente Nuevo”<\/strong> it is his image, and The bullring is the oldest in Spain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s one place that hardly anyone visits:<\/strong> the Arab baths<\/strong>, one of the best-preserved in al-Andalus, and the Tajo Mine<\/strong> from the Casa del Rey Moro, with 200 steps carved down to the river.<\/p>\n

It is the natural base<\/strong> for the rest of the Serran\u00eda. All in What to see in Ronda<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

5. Gauc\u00edn<\/h3>\n

The Balcony of the Serran\u00eda<\/strong>, and the longest viewing platform on the list: from the Castle of the Eagle<\/strong>, on clear days, You can see the Strait, Gibraltar and the African coast<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s halfway there<\/strong> between Ronda and the west coast, so it\u2019s a good fit if you\u2019re travelling that route. It has attracted quite a few artists, and you can really feel it in the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n

6. Genalguacil<\/h3>\n

It is, quite literally, a museum village.<\/strong> Every two years, a series of gatherings of artists and the building works are left on the streets<\/strong>: sculptures and murals blending in with the white farmhouses.<\/p>\n

And the surroundings are just as lovely:<\/strong> is in full swing Genal Valley<\/strong>, amongst chestnut and cork oak woods. Autumn is when it\u2019s most worthwhile<\/strong>, with the chestnut grove changing colour.<\/p>\n\n

7. J\u00fazcar<\/h3>\n

The only blue village.<\/strong> She had her make-up done for a promotional campaign and, when it was over, the residents voted to keep the colour<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It is the contrast that makes it so appealing:<\/strong> a blue village nestled in a valley of chestnut trees. And in autumn, when the chestnut grove is bathed in ochre, that\u2019s the time of year.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

West coast<\/h2>\n\n

8. Mijas Town<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"A
A street in Mijas Pueblo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Be careful with the name, as there are three different places:<\/strong> Mijas Village<\/strong> It is the one from the mountains, and it is this one; Mijas Costa<\/strong> and La Cala de Mijas<\/strong> They\u2019re down below, on the coast. If you\u2019re looking for the white village in the photos, it\u2019s the one up there.<\/p>\n

What makes it unusual:<\/strong> has the only oval-shaped bullring in Spain<\/strong>. And the donkey-taxis<\/strong>, which are a hallmark of the brand.<\/p>\n

It takes a couple of hours to walk around<\/strong> and has viewing points overlooking the sea. Find out more at what to see in Mijas<\/a> and where to have breakfast<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

9. Casares<\/h3>\n

The most vertical view in the province:<\/strong> the houses are staggered along the hillside beneath the ruins of a Moorish castle<\/strong>, forming a compact silhouette that is recognisable from a distance.<\/p>\n

It is near Estepona<\/strong>, so you do it from the west coast without straying too far off course.<\/p>\n\n

North and inland<\/h2>\n\n

10. Antequera<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Alcazaba
The Alcazaba of Antequera.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is \u00abthe heart of Andalusia\u00bb<\/strong>, and this isn\u2019t just marketing: it lies at the geographical centre between M\u00e1laga, Granada, C\u00f3rdoba and Seville, 45 km from the capital<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The figure: 33 churches<\/h4>\n

It has 33 churches for some 41,800 inhabitants<\/strong>, one for every 1,250 people: one of the highest densities in Spain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And there is an explanation<\/strong>, which is the interesting bit: following the conquest, Antequera remained as a crossroads leading to all the Andalusian capital cities<\/strong>, and that position attracted religious orders<\/strong>, who gradually established communities. Churches are the result of trade, not just of devotion.<\/p>\n

Gerardo Diego called it \u00abthe city of white, Gongorian churches\u00bb.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

And two World Heritage Sites just around the corner<\/h4>\n